


The Dating Game

by catwiii



Category: Simonverse | Creekwood Series - Becky Albertalli
Genre: Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe, Blind Date, F/F, F/M, M/M, Online Dating, POV Bram Greenfeld
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-18 05:47:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28987326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catwiii/pseuds/catwiii
Summary: Bram has no idea what he's signing up for when he finally agrees to go to one of Garrett's "banger" parties. He had no idea why he agreed to going, or why he agreed to drink, or why he agreed to let Simon Spier into his lap, or why he let his friends drag him into a game of mystery, sexual tension, and heartbreak.But hey, Simon agreed to it too. Maybe luck will be in Bram's favor...
Relationships: Bram Greenfeld/Simon Spier, Cal Price/Nora Spier, Garrett Laughlin/Morgan, Leah Burke/Abby Suso, Nick Eisner/Taylor Metternich
Comments: 14
Kudos: 27





	1. the beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It all started with Garrett asking him a question...

**Monday, October 10th...**

  
  
  


_"Pleeeeaaaasssseee?"_

Bram gave Garrett an exasperated look as he grabbed his Algebra book from his locker and tucked it under his arm. "You know the puppy eyes don't work on me."

"I know, but you're being so unfair." Garrett crossed his arms, his 6'4 self absolutely blocking Bram's exit. "You have to come to my party, man! It'll be so much more fun with you there, I just know it. Just this one time, can you come? I actually managed to convince Eisner to get the rest of his friends to come. You have to come and be my wingman." 

Bram fidgeted with the edge of the textbook cover, shifting on his feet. As much as he would love to support Garrett at his party, big gatherings weren't really his scene. Bram knew that Garrett had a massive crush on Leah, and Bram would love to see his angel bro get with someone that would make him happy, and he would love to help out with that.

Except it involved going to Garrett's practical mansion, which will without a doubt be packed with rambunctious hormonal teenagers getting wasted while they make out and grind on each other. The thought of it all made Bram feel vaguely nauseated.

But at the same time, Garrett was his best friend. And in hindsight, Bram kind of owed him. Over the weekend he had come out to him and Garrett had been nothing but supportive if not a little nosy about whether Bram had a crush on a specific guy yet or not. He did, actually. Have a crush on a specific guy. And that specific guy just so happened to be the longtime best friend of Garrett's longtime crush, Leah Burke herself. 

Didn't life just work out so wonderfully?

Garrett was giving him the puppy eyes again, and Bram could feel himself beginning to relent. Garrett had said that Nick had gotten his friends to come to the party, Simon Spier being a part of that group. Which means that both Bram and Garrett's crushes would be at the party, the very one that Garrett was begging him to go to.

Bram had probably only spoken a total sum of five words to Simon, not because he was hard to talk to but because when it came to cute guys--or in Bram's case since freshman year, a cute guy--Bram couldn't get his voice to work. The way that Simon held eye contact a moment longer than he had to, the way he smiled without a care in a world, the way that his laugh was contagious, the way that his wood blond hair dangled behind the lenses of his round rimmed glasses, the way he spoke like his mouth couldn't keep up with his thoughts, and the way that any room he walked into lit up just because of his presence, Bram just couldn't. Simon was so effortlessly adorable, so effortlessly perfect, Bram couldn't talk, couldn't function, he just couldn't even. Nothing at all. Just total awkward silence all because Bram's brain didn't know to comprehend the radiant existence of Simon Spier.

But there would be alcohol. And though he didn't heavily drink, Bram was known to lose his filter and lower his walls just a little when he'd had a cup or four. Which meant, theoretically, if Bram played wingman for Garrett while he tried to flirt with Leah, he could, theoretically, ask Garrett to wingman for him while he attempted to speak more than a single sentence to Simon.

The idea nauseated him. But also kind of excited him.

With a defeated sigh, Bram looked up at Garrett. "Fine, I'll go-"

"FUCK YEAH!" Garrett punched the air with his fist.

"If," Bram held up a finger, "you be my wingman."

Garrett's eyes went comically wide before he broke out into a grin, his voice hushed. "Of course! Oh man, is your crush gonna be at the party? Will you actually talk to a cute boy? Will you actually tell me who this cute boy is?”

One thing Bram loved about Garrett despite himself: his absolute shameless curiosity. 

Bram smiled at Garrett. "If I tell you, will you stop acting like a hyper squirrel and let me live until Friday?"

Garrett gave him a grin in return, nudging him lightly. "Fine, fine, I promise. So who is-" The bell rang, cutting Garrett's question off and causing Bram to burst out laughing.

"Ugh, could the timing be any worse?" Garrett kicked the side of the lockers as they walked, and Bram had to cover his mouth to suppress his giggling. "You're telling me everything at practice." He told Bram accusingly.

Bram grinned. "After practice. I'll even drive you home."

Garrett, whose car was in the shop, looked grateful. "Alright, fine." He stopped in the end of the hallway, turning towards his class and pointing at Bram. "After practice!" He called.

Bram rolled his eyes and headed to Algebra. Garrett was a great friend.

"So?" Garrett turned to him as soon as Bram clicked on his seatbelt. "Who is he?"

Bram exhaled as he turned on his car and began to back out of his parking spot. "Simon."

"Spier?" Garrett cried, causing Bram to wince. "I knew it! I mean, damn, I knew you could be quiet. And you mentioned getting quiet around guys you like, but I didn't know that's why you never talked at lunch." He grinned at Bram. "Though, now that I think about it, I'm not surprised. And that is absolutely, vomit-inducingly adorable, Greenfeld."

Bram's face flushed with heat, and he punched Garrett's arm as soon as they stopped at a red light, causing Garrett to cackle like a maniac.

"I'm serious! It's really great to hear that you actually like someone! I will absolutely help you get with him, you're in desperate need of getting laid--"

"Garrett!" Bram slammed the brakes at the next light so hard it made the two of them jolt forward, causing Garrett to break out into a giggle storm again. "Never say that again, ever, for the rest of your life, oh my god.”

"You're in desperate need of getting l--ow, ow, okay! I'm sorry!" Garrett grinned at Bram. "But really, Bram. I'm happy for you, and I'm more than happy to be your wingman." He held his hand to his chest. "I'm honored."

Bram smiled despite himself. "Yeah, yeah. Thank you. And I'm happy to help you as well." He glanced at Garrett with mock sternness. "You better not leave me stranded at the party."

Garrett laughed as they turned onto his street. "Man, if you manage to pick up Spier with all of your silent charm, I am absolutely leaving you stranded. I don't wanna see all that shit."

Bram took a singular moment to park in the driveway, glancing at Garrett menacingly and giving him exactly five seconds to run before Bram chased him into his house.

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading! it was short but it'll get longer and better the farther we go!


	2. the party (part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Friday's the big day, but Bram can hardly contain his nerves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shortish chapter once again, i wont really be posting long chapters till weekends. but don't worry. you'll be fed until then :)
> 
> this parts gonna be broken up into three parts. enjoy!

**Thursday, October 13th…**

_“Jesus fuck, this cooler is heavy.”_

“Don’t you dare let go.”

Garrett stopped walking backward for a moment to glare at Bram over the large cooler of beer and soda they were heaving from his car to the backyard. It was the eve of Garrett’s giant party, and Bram had agreed to help him set everything up and make sure that all things would go smoothly. They were currently in the process of moving all eight heavy coolers that Garrett’s cousin had kindly filled and given to them for the occasion.

But boy, were the coolers _filled._

Bram grunted with annoyance, hefting the cooler up as it began to slip from his rapidly dampening grip. 

“Dude, _move,_ this is a heavy bitch.”

Garrett rolled his eyes before he grunted and began to walk again. Bram guided him away from obstacles and after what felt like an eternity, they set the cooler down by the patio. Garrett dusted off his hands as Bram wiped the beading sweat off his forehead with the hem of his shirt. “There,” Garrett grinned at Bram. “We’re all set.”

Bram raised an eyebrow. “Completely set?”

Garrett pulled out his phone, unlocking it and pulling up his notes app. “Let’s check. Drinks?”

Bram gestured to the coolers on his left. “Check.”

“Pizza?”

“Ordered for tomorrow, check.”

“Snacks?”

“All in the cabinets, check.”

“Necessities; cups, napkins, plates, utensils and shit, check, thanks to you.” Garrett shot him a pointed look from his phone.

Bram snorted. “I’m sorry, was everyone supposed to eat on a single napkin? Or worse, out of the box?”

Garrett rolled his eyes but made no comment, which just told Bram that he had easily won that argument. “Trash bags?”

“In your garage, check.”

“Music?”

“Check, Nick hooked us up.” Bram pulled the small usb drive from his pocket and handed it to Garrett, who grinned at him and put both the drive and his phone away. 

“Alright, we are all set for tomorrow.” The two of them exchanged a fist bump. “Thanks again for helping me out with this.”

Bram smiled. “Of course, what are friends for? Even if I had decided not to come I still would have helped you set up. You can hardly be trusted to keep your own head on your shoulders much less keep an organized checklist for your party.”

Garrett punched Bram’s arm playfully, causing him to laugh. “Shut up, Greenfeld. Now come on, you promised to help me with this essay and I am still holding you to that.”

* * *

**Friday, October 14th…**

On the day of the party, the entire school was buzzing with anticipation. Garrett had invited just about everyone, claiming it was gonna be “one of the greatest parties of the year!” and now everyone was holding him to that. But if Garrett was nervous, he didn’t show it. He couldn’t stop grinning as they arrived at school and a bunch of people kept smiling at him and telling him how excited they were for his party.

“Everyone’s so hyped,” Garrett was practically bouncing as they made it to their lockers. “This is gonna be epic. The day just started and I already can’t wait for school to be over.”

Bram laughed quietly, pulling out his English book. “Garrett, you can’t wait for school to be over even when there _isn’t_ a party waiting for you at the end of the day.”

Garrett grinned. “Very true, but tonight's the night! I can feel it. Something good’s about to happen, Bram. I just know it.”

Bram smiled at Garrett’s optimism. Garrett was always looking on the bright side of things. Bram knew that he was a man of faith and that he had a lot of confidence in the Big Man Upstairs, but Bram liked the fact that Garrett was just honest about what he believed no matter how ridiculous it might be. It always made Bram smile, even if he didn’t always feel like smiling.

And he had to be honest, Bram couldn’t help but feel like something _was_ about to happen. His nerves were everywhere all day, and he couldn’t focus on any of his classes no matter how much he tried. Especially in English, where he had ended up in between Garrett and Nick and pressed up against Simon Spier on the couch in Mr. Wise’s classroom. And in Algebra, where Simon had bumped into Bram by accident and caused both of them to drop their books. They had brushed hands in the scramble to collect their things, which had caused Bram to completely freeze and stare at Simon who, either in Bram’s favor or absolutely not in his favor, looked up and stared right back. 

Simon had a thing with always maintaining eye contact longer than he needed to. It endeared Bram, more than he’d like to admit. Not that he would ever admit it, anyway, even to Garrett. But it did endear him. God, he felt like he was underneath the spotlight whenever Simon looked at him. Sitting underneath the bright light of twin moons, dust falling around him and making him feel like he was the only person left in the world.

Ahem. Anyway. As he was saying.

The two of them had then been called out by Ms. Ramsey, who assigned Simon to write the equations of the day while Bram was to pass out their homework. Which would have been fine, except Bram kept looking back at Simon only to find that Simon kept looking back at him and smiled. _Several_ times.

Bram was definitely relieved when he was released from school, because the encounters had begun to form a little pool of bravery in his stomach. He was coming to _really_ look forward to the party.


	3. the party (part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> bram's made it to the party, but he's not sure if he has the courage to talk to simon. but maybe, with the alcohol in his system, it'll be easier than he thinks

**Later that night…**

_Bram could hear the thumping of the bass from inside his car as he parallel parked in front of Garrett’s house._

He was worried that someone might call the cops for a noise complaint the later it got, but Bram forced himself to push his negativity aside. Tonight was gonna be a good night, he reminded himself. Tonight he was going to work up the courage to talk to Simon.

And help Garrett talk to Leah. That too.

Bram checked himself in the rearview mirror, brushing his dark curls from his eyes and adjusting the collar of the navy blue shirt he'd settled on for tonight. He hadn't been sure whether to go with the red one or the black one, so he just went for the blue and forced himself to stop overthinking it. His mom had told him that he looked great when she handed him his bomber jacket before he left, it gave him a confidence boost.

When Bram was as satisfied with his appearance as he could bring himself to be, he turned off his car and stepped out into the cool October air with a deep breath. Locking his car and adjusting his jacket, he crossed the street and headed into Garrett’s house.

The music was even louder inside than it was outside, and you could hear the music clearly from the outside. The foyer alone was packed with teenagers nursing multicolored cups, all of which either talking loudly over the music or dancing against someone else. 

Everyone was wearing a different colored glow bracelet, an idea that Garrett had during lunch on Tuesday. Green meant single, yellow meant crushing, blue meant down to fuck, and red meant taken. If you didn’t have a bracelet, you’re not interested. The lunch table thought it was a great idea, including Bram.

Garrett made his way to him as Bram made the decision to pick up a yellow bracelet, clapping him on the back with a wide grin. “Greenfeld! I had no doubts! What up, man?” 

Bram smiled at Garrett, fist bumping him and holding up the bracelet. “I'm trying to be bold.”

Garrett’s eyes went comically wide. “Dude, yes! That’s what I’m talking about! Look at you putting yourself out there. I'm a proud boy,” He put his hand over his heart. “You're all grown up.”

Bram rolled his eyes. “Shut up, Laughlin.”

Garrett gave Bram another manic grin. “Seriously though. I'm really glad you decided to go through with this.” He leaned closer, lowering his voice. “Eisner got here not long before you did, with Leah, Suso, and Spier.” He pointed to Bram’s bracelet. “Spier picked up a yellow one.”

Bram’s face flushed with heat as he looked up at Garrett. “He did?”

Garrett nodded animatedly. “Yup. And when Suso asked him about it, he just shrugged it off and asked if you were here yet. It could have been coincidence, but also there's no fucking way it was a coincidence.”

Bram fidgeted with his bracelet, scanning the crowd. “Oh.” He mumbled. He didn't really know what to say. As far as he could tell, Simon hadn’t shown interest in anybody since sophomore year (if you can call him agreeing to date Anna from their lunch table for a month before she broke up with him showing interest). He was rumored to be interested in Cal Price, another AP kid in Simon's drama class, but Bram didn't know if Cal was even here. And if Simon was interested in Cal, why ask for Bram? Was he just being nice or was he seeking him out? Bram didn’t know which scenario nauseated him more.

“Hey,” Bram was pulled out of his own head and saw that Garrett's expression had shifted to something softer. “I know that look; you're overthinking again.”

Bram tried for a laugh, but he made a huff sound instead. “I'm not overthinking. Not—Not really. I'm thinking, not _over_ thinking.”

Garrett rested his hand on Bram's shoulder. “Bram. Come on, man. You got this. Spier’s been out to the lunch table since the beginning of the school year, so you can’t possibly be worried about that. I know you’re nervous to talk to him, but I'm gonna be there for you. All we gotta do is get you a cup of some strong shit, find that boy, and the rest will unfold on its own.” He smiled at Bram. “You're gonna do great, Bram. I know you will. You'll charm the socks of that boy.”

Bram returned the smile, clapping Garrett on the shoulder gratefully. He didn't know what he had done to deserve him as a best friend, but he was really glad they had each other's backs. “Thanks, Garrett. I don't know what I'd do without you.”

Garrett beamed at him. “Probably think yourself to death, I bet. Now come on, let's get you a drink and some pizza.”

* * *

Within thirty minutes of being at the party, Bram had had two pizzas, four cups of something sweet and vaguely bitter and was feeling a warm buzz through his whole body. He was sitting on the counter, laughing at something one of his soccer friends was saying when Garrett came over to him and whispered in his ear.

_“Leah and Spier are hanging out in the den.”_

Bram felt his heartbeat quicken at the sound of Simon's name. He turned to look at Garrett, who grinned at him. Bram felt himself grinning back as he slid off the counter and excused himself from the rest of his soccer team to follow Garrett. 

Garrett led him past the drunken teenage masses grinding against each other and into the den where Simon had draped himself over Leah, babbling utter nonsense to her, who looked both disgusted and amused and was donning a green bracelet. When Simon saw Bram and Garrett, his eyes lit up like stars. It made Bram's heart skip a beat. 

“Bram!” Simon beamed at him, and Bram realized that Simon was clutching a red cup like a lifeline, a yellow glow bracelet on his wrist just as Garrett had said. He was wearing a black zip up over a blue striped t-shirt and dark wash jeans, his shoes having somehow been discarded in the past hour or so because he only had rainbow socks on. His wood blond hair was tousled and falling just behind his glasses and into his moon-gray eyes.

He looked incredible, and it made Bram's heart swell.

Bram smiled at Simon, hoping he appeared confident. “Hi, Simon. Leah.”

Leah waved at Bram wordlessly, her gaze on Simon.

“I’m so glad you’re hereeee,” Simon slurred, rising to his feet unsteadily. “I was looking for you. I didn’t know that you were gonna be here but now you are here because you came here because you were gonna be here!” He giggled, gazing at Bram. “Wow. You look really good in blue. I just said that. Did I just say that? Sorry, I’ve had a cup of… something. A lot of somethings. Maybe like two.” He grinned and poked Bram in the cheek. “You look really nice.”

Bram really hoped that Simon didn’t feel how warm his cheeks were when he had poked him, because Bram could feel his entire face on fire right about now. He figured he should probably say something, so he cleared his throat and prayed that his voice worked. “Thank you. You look really nice too.” He offered another smile, to which Simon returned with a wide grin. God, he looked so beautiful when he grinned. He tore his eyes away from Simon and glanced at Leah. “How many?”

“A single fucking cup.” Leah cut her eyes to the side to glare at Simon. “I can’t believe this.”

“It was a very full cup,” Simon pouted at Leah, crossing his arms and sloshing a little bit of whatever remained in his cup out. “And I’ve had a cup and a  _ half. _ ” He showed Bram his half full cup. “See?”

Bram chuckled softly. “Have you ever drank before?”

“Yes,” Leah cut in. “He’s just a lightweight.”

“That’s so untrue!” Simon scoffed. He leaned over to Bram, lowering his voice. He was so close that Bram could smell the sweet alcohol in his breath, and feel its warmth on his cheek. “I’ve been told that I’m pretty heavy. Abby tried to carry me once, she almost fell trying to set me back down.” He burst into a fit of giggles, and Bram couldn’t help but giggle with him. His laughter was contagious, especially when he was being so effortlessly adorable.

“I’ll take your word for it,” He murmured back, which caused Simon to giggle even harder. Watching him laugh made Bram’s stomach pool with warmth. He loved the idea of making Simon laugh.

Garrett cleared his throat, and Bram could feel his face warming up again. He had nearly forgotten that Garrett was there. “So, Leah. Spier. You guys wanna play a game with us?”

Leah looked up at Garrett with a raised eyebrow. “A game?”

“Yeah!” Garrett cut his eyes to the side to look at Bram. “Greenfeld and I came up with this cool game! We were just gonna go get Eisner and Suso to play with us. All the soccer guys bailed out on us.”

Bram blinked slowly at Garrett, trying to read him. He didn’t have a godforsaken clue what Garrett was talking about. They hadn’t come up with a game, and as far as he knew Garrett hadn’t mentioned anything to the soccer team either, but judging from the desperate look in his eyes, Bram was supposed to play along.

“Yeah,” Bram said helpfully. “It’ll be fun, I promise. I know you’re cynical and all but I’m sure you’ll have a good time.”

“Oooooh, I wanna play a game!” Simon grinned at Leah. “C’mon, Lee, pretty please?”

Leah’s eyes darted from Simon, to Bram, to Garrett where they lingered for a moment before she shrugged and rose to her feet. “You know what? Sure. Why not? It’s not like I have much better to do and babysitting Simon is getting exhausting. “ She grinned at Simon, who had gasped dramatically at the comment. “But sure. I’m in.”

Garrett grinned. “Awesome! Come on, let’s go find Eisner. Bram, you and Simon can meet us upstairs in my room.” He made a show of winking, which earned him a fierce glare from Bram. “See you up there!” He pulled Leah out of the room, of who looked rather indignant but amused.

Simon giggled. “I’m excited for the game. You helped him come up with it?” He turned to look at Bram, holding his gaze curiously. 

Bram swallowed, trying to think through the gay haziness clouding his brain at the moment. “Uh, yeah. I did. I didn’t do much but it’s gonna be fun.”

Simon smiled at him. “I’m sure it will! You seem like you know how to have fun. I bet you’re really funny in your head.” He blinked, then turned bright red. “Sorry, that was… really random. And weird. Now you think I’m weird. Shit. I’m sorry. I was just saying that I think you’re fun. And cool. And I’d love to get to know you. As a friend! Or- I mean- um.” He cleared his throat, looking down at his cup. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Bram managed a smile, his heart pounding so hard he could hear it in his ears. “I mean, I’m honestly kind of boring. My life isn’t all that exciting besides hanging out with Garrett and playing soccer. I mostly just focus on my homework and facetime with my baby brother in Savannah, but that was really cu- er, cool of you to say. I don’t know if I’m all that funny, though.”

Simon’s expression softened. “I don’t think you’re boring. I’m sure you are really funny. You’re so quiet. I just know you have a ton of stuff to say. You think things through so well, there’s no way that your jokes aren’t absolutely awesome.”

Bram honestly could not tell if Simon was flirting with him or not, but the way that he was looking at him, the way they held each other’s gazes for so long, it was all so conflicting and overwhelming.

And Bram was kind of loving it.

“Thanks.” He murmured.

“You’re welcome.”

They held eye contact for a moment longer before Bram swallowed thickly and glanced towards the door. “We should get going, we shouldn’t keep the others waiting. They’ll think you might’ve drowned in your half full cup.”

Simon burst out laughing, and Bram could feel the gay haze taking over his entire body. Maybe this is why another definition for gay was happiness. “Yeah,” He grinned. “Let’s go.” He began to march out the door, and Bram followed him, grinning like a maniac. He was really starting to like being at this party.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for taking so long to update, i really wanted to make this longer. chapter four part three will be out soon! thanks so much for reading!! i'm having so much fun writing this! i'm gonna milk out garrett and leah's relationship, but don't worry, leah and abby will have their time to shine >:)


	4. the party (part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrett has come up with a game, one filled with mystery and secrecy and chance. But is Bram willing to put himself up to this on the sheer hope that the boy he's had a crush on for years will be on the receiving line?

**Garrett's house, 8:35 PM...**

_ When they got to Garrett's room, Bram saw that Garrett had rounded up a little more than just ‘Eisner and Suso.’ _

Turns out Anna, Morgan, and Cal—who Bram literally had not known was here—also wanted to play. So there they were, the three of them, Nick and Abby, Leah and Garrett, sitting in an unfinished circle in the middle of the room, all looking up at him and Simon expectantly.

Cal smiled at Simon, blue eyes shining behind the brush of his bangs. “Hey, Simon.” He greeted, in his subtle southern accent.

“Hey!” Simon grinned at Cal, and maybe it was Bram's imagination, but he could have sworn that it wasn’t nearly as bright as it had been for Bram.

Just saying.

Garrett waved the two of them over to sit in the space they'd all left open for them, right between him and Abby. Bram sat down besides Garrett and Simon sank into the spot besides him, grinning at Abby who grinned back.

“So what is this game I keep hearing about?” Cal asked, tilting his head. 

Garrett grinned, rubbing his hands. “Alright, so, I came up with a way that we could get to know each other better.”

“I thought you said that Bram helped you.” Leah cocked an eyebrow at Garrett.

Garrett and Bram shared a look.

“I just… gave him the idea,” Bram could feel his cheeks warming up, and he hoped that no one could notice. “But he did most of the work.”

“Yeah, exactly,” Garrett nodded animatedly. “So  _ Bram _ gave me an idea for us to get to know each other better because frankly, I have no idea who Cal even is.” He glanced at Cal with a shrug. “No offense.”

Cal grinned, and Bram had to admit that he was pretty attractive. He could see why Simon would be interested in him. “None taken.”

“So this is just an elaborate icebreaker,” Leah deadpanned.

Garrett turned bright red. “I- well, yeah. But it'll be fun.”

“Icebreakers are never fun,” Morgan giggled, and Anna nodded in agreement. 

“I'm sure that this will be fun,” Bram said, a little defensively on Garrett's behalf. “Every time Garrett comes up with a new game, we end up cramping from laughing so hard. This is gonna be good.” He smiled reassuringly at Garrett, who gave him a grateful look. “Just trust him. And if you don’t trust him, trust me.”

“Thanks, man,” Garrett smiled back at Bram before turning back to face the rest of the group. “So! Here’s how it works. Basically, we each write down our names and anonymous email addresses on slips of paper and I’m gonna put it in a box for safekeeping-”

“I didn’t know you owned a lockbox, Laughlin,” Leah grinned at him, and Garrett winked back.

“And then we’re each gonna write our anonymous email addresses on another slip of paper. Every piece of paper has a twin, so whatever color piece of paper you get someone else will have the same color paper. That’s your buddy. Make sure that no one sees what your color is. When you’re done, just slip it into this box,” Garrett reached under his bed and pulled out a small cardboard box.

“Once we’re all done, we’re gonna play a little paranoia before we draw a random piece of paper. You’re not allowed to check your slip till you get home, though. Once you have your new buddy’s email address, you have two weeks to email and get to know each other from the inside out, without telling the other your true identity. You’re allowed to leave clues and piece clues together, but not reveal until the two week mark, where we will all meet me back at my house and open the box to learn who was who. Maybe you’ll make a new friend, maybe you’ll fall in love.” Garrett’s eyes cut to Bram’s just for a moment before he grinned at the group. “Who knows? It’s a game of chance.”

“It’s a dating game,” Nick snorted.

“It’s a game of whatever you want it to be,” Garrett winked. “So, are you in?”

“I’m in,” Simon blurted out, turning bright red when everyone looked at him curiously. “I mean, I think it would be cool. To get to know each other from the inside out like that, it sounds like fun. Plus it could bring us all closer as friends, y’know? We could learn shit about each other, and not like just random stuff but  _ real _ stuff, y’know? Like really real personal stuff that we don’t know how to say face to face.” He coughed a little. “Sorry, I started to ramble. But yeah. I just think it would be fun.”

Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was the way Simon’s effortless adorableness was starting to completely consume him, maybe it was just the sheer comfort he felt from the idea of getting to know someone anonymously, or maybe it was the small glimmer of hope that maybe, just  _ maybe _ , he would get Simon as the recipient of his emails, but Bram smiled at Simon before looking down at his hands. “I know what you mean. It’s like, people are like vast houses but all the houses have tiny windows that are hard to see through. And even people with big windows have tint on theirs. This could give us an opportunity to enter someone else’s house completely unjudged for who we are, and get a chance, as well as give a chance, to see what lies behind all those windows.”

When he looked back up, he realized everyone was looking at him with curious gazes. 

“Damn man,” Nick smiled slightly. “That was deep, even for me.”

“You’re so right, though,” Anna murmured thoughtfully. “We all go through our day just passing by everyone else’s windows, and judging them based on their exteriors rather than their interiors. Who has the nicest house, biggest house, and all that. We’ve forgotten that it’s important to just knock on the door and ask to come in to talk every once in a while.”

“Exactly,” Bram smiled at Anna, who returned it with ease. “This gives us an opportunity to knock on the door and ask to come in.”

“I knew you had a ton to say,” Simon murmured, staring at Bram with wide moondust eyes filled with curiosity and, what Bram hoped was, wonder. 

“This is a really cool idea, Garrett,” Abby grinned at him brightly. “Let’s do it! Pass me a pen already.”

Garrett beamed, rising to his feet and grabbing two more boxes from under his bed, one with pens and the other with the paired slips of paper, and setting them on his desk. Then he grabbed the first box he’d brought out and set that on his desk too. “Alright. One by one come up and take a slip, write your email address, and put it in the draw box. Then take another slip from the other box and write down your identity so you can put it in the lockbox.” He pointed to the lockbox sitting at the foot of the desk. “Spier, you first. Everyone, turn around. No peeking.”

One by one, they participated in the new game, writing down emails and names on slips and depositing them in their respective boxes. When it was Bram’s turn, he tried to muster the courage he’d been running on for the past two hours or so. He did have an anon email that he used for things not related to school, _bluegreen118@gmail.com_ . He wondered if his buddy would be able to figure out his identity just from his email alone, but forced the thought out of his head. They’d be revealing themselves in two weeks anyways, his email address alone were just a few clues. 

So he wrote down his email on a slip of blue construction paper-- the irony-- and his identity on a matching slip for the draw box. Then he put them both into their rightful boxes, and when back to sit down. No turning back now. After just a few rounds of paranoia, Bram will have the email of his new buddy.

* * *

After the several rounds of paranoia came to an end and their giggles had died down, they all headed back downstairs for more drinks and food. Bram managed to get just a little bit tipsy, which somehow ended up being taught how to shuffle by Simon, which did not go well and only ended in the two of them losing their shit laughing on the couch fifteen minutes after the disastrous lesson. They ended up watching Garrett try to get Leah to dance, which ended just as well as Simon and Bram’s dance lesson had. The four of them could barely breathe through their laughter.

Too soon the party itself began to quiet down, and people began to call Ubers or stumble out with their hookups and designated drivers. More than a few times people clapped Garrett on the back, thanking him for an awesome party and reassuring him that it had in fact been one of the greatest parties of the year. Bram laughed at how wide Garrett’s smile was.

Cal came to find Garrett for his slip before he headed out to leave. Bram made a point not to look as Cal rummaged around in the box for a slip, which he put in his pocket without peeking and bid him and Garrett thanks and goodnight. Anna and Morgan also headed out not long after Cal did, both coming to find Garrett for their slips and thanking him for the fun time.

Eventually Leah decided that she had had enough of drunk Simon and made him, Nick and Abby also head out at around eleven. The four of them each took turns picking a slip out and putting it away. 

Abby, who was rather drunk herself, gave both Garrett and Bram each a tight hug. “Have a great night, boys,” she beamed. “Thanks for the party, Garrett.”

“Anytime, Suso.” Garrett said proudly.

Nick clapped them each on the back, swaying on his feet a little. “See you on Monday, guys.” He slurred with a wild grin.

Leah rolled her eyes from where she stood behind him, gripping onto a babbling Simon, shaking her head. “Goodnight, guys. Thanks for the party, Garrett.”

“Goodnight, Bram,” Simon grinned directly at him, his eyes twinkling. 

Bram managed a slightly startled smile at the direct farewell, his heart skipping a beat. “Goodnight, Simon.”

Simon waved at him and Garrett, stumbling after Leah as she dragged him towards the door, Nick and Abby in tow.

Garrett smirked at Bram as soon as the door closed. “ _ Soooooo… _ ” He drawled. “You and Spier, huh?”

Bram’s face flushed with heat. “Shut up, Laughlin. I saw the way you were looking at Leah.”

Garrett laughed. “I guess we helped each other out tonight. I’d call this a success.” He nudged Bram gently. “I’m really proud of you, though. You hung out with Simon almost the whole night, and you didn’t even have to get super wasted!”

Bram laughed quietly, ducking his head. “Yeah. It was a lot of fun. I guess I felt pretty brave tonight.” He smiled at Garrett. “And I’m proud of you too. Leah was having a lot of fun with you.”

Garrett held his fist out to Bram, which he bumped earnestly. “Here’s to a favorable next two weeks. Speaking of which,” He picked up the box and held it out to him. “You and I are the last ones.”

Bram peered into the box. The last two slips were a blue one identical to the one he’d put in, and a yellow one. He picked up his slip, Garrett doing the same.

“What’s yours?” Garrett asked.

“ _ hour.to.hour.note.to.note@gmail.com,” _ Bram read, looking up at Garrett. “Yours?”

“ _ animeslytherin16@gmail.com,” _ Garrett scratched his head. “Weird address, but kinda cool.”

“Yeah,” Bram murmured, reading his slip over and over. To his surprise, he didn’t feel nauseated in the slightest. In fact, he felt kind of excited. Tomorrow he would send an email to his new buddy, if he didn’t have one addressed to him first.

He was really looking forward to this.

“Come on,” Garrett’s voice drew him out of his thoughts. “You promised to help me clean up, and I’m pretty sure at least one cheerleader vomited on my rug.”

“Ewww,” Bram laughed, pocketing his slip and rising to his feet to follow Garrett into the living room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another short-ish one, but don't worry. we're getting to the good part. :)  
> thanks for reading!


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